English Language Proficiency Assessments

Despite what you may hear on the radio in some European countries, English is the international language for Radio Telephony in aviation.

It is therefore a requirement for anyone wishing to hold an RT License to have an acceptable standard of fluency and understanding of English. If this level is not achievable then the CAA will not issue an RT License.

Due to some changes in recent years the waters have become very muddy over what assessments can be made by RT & Flight Examiners, and what needs to be carried out at a CAA approved language school.

We will attempt to outline below the basic requirements of English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessments, but for a more detailed discussion please contact us.

ELP looks at basically 2 factors:

• The fluency with which you can speak English and the ability to make others understand you.
• Your ability to understand and process information you receive when conveyed in English.

Levels of Certification

ELP is graded using 6 levels (1 - 6), with 6 being the highest.

To qualify for the issue of a RT License you must be assessed as being level 4 or above

Level 6 can be awarded by any Flight or Radiotelephony Examiner, once awarded a level 6 this is valid for life

If a Flight or RT Examiner feels unable to award a Level 6 then you must attend a CAA approved language school to be tested.

If you are awarded Level 4 or 5 then these will need to be reviewed periodically to ensure that you are still at that level. Over time you may actually advance through the levels to eventually achieve Level 6 where no further reviews are needed. However, if you have already been assessed at a level below 6, only a CAA approved language school can conduct these periodic reviews.

What if English is not your 1st language

This is where the fun really starts as the CAA have gone from allowing Flight & RT Examiners to assess this, to not allowing it, and now it seems back to allowing this as long as additional steps are taken to validate both fluent delivery and understanding of what is being said.

Remember that if we cannot assess at then we cannot award a 4 or 5 so would need to refer you to a CAA approved language school

While a formal assessment of L6 would need to be carried out face to face, if you are concerned whether you are likely to be awarded a L6 by your RT Examiner, we are happy to conduct a Free of Charge, telephone 'interview' where we can give you an indication whether we are likely to assess at L6.

Please contact us if you would like to arrange this.